By Caitlyn Cummings

In its 200-year existence, Dale County has had four county seats—Richmond, Daleville, Newton, and Ozark. 

Dale County was formed from Henry County by an act of the Alabama Legislature on December 22, 1824. At the time, Henry County encompassed what is now the counties of Coffee, Dale, Barbour, Covington, Crenshaw, Geneva, Houston, and Pike. The first county seat of Henry County was the town of Richmond.